U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs would bring extensive experience as a state and federal trial judge if nominated as the Supreme Court’s first Black woman.
Childs, 55, also has the public endorsement of Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who is the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House and an influential figure in Joe Biden’s ascent to the presidency.
What she lacks is experience as a federal appellate judge. Biden sought to fill that gap in her resume by announcing plans last year to nominate her to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a common springboard for Supreme Court nominations.
